For over 40 years, Steve Purdy has been uncovering the fascinating stories behind some of the most unique and iconic hood ornaments in automotive history. These ornaments go beyond simple decoration—they represent craftsmanship, history, and the changing design trends of their eras. In his book, Mascots in Motion: Images and Stories of Automotive Aesthetics, Purdy shares these stories through over 300 pages of detailed images and insights. Here, we’ve selected a few highlights from the book, offering a glimpse into the artistry behind these timeless automotive mascots.
Icons of the Road
Rustic Cues: Captured at Amelia Island, this image showcases an Oldsmobile poised for fate at auction. In the upper-left corner, reflections of the Ritz-Carlton, the venue for the nation’s second most prestigious Concours d’Elegance, can be seen. The lighting in this setting carries a unique quality, likely enhanced by the proximity of the property’s water features.
Silver Speed: This is the gleaming Chrysler “Gazelle,” captured at the EyesOn Design show at the Ford House around five years ago. The day began with a warm mist, gradually turning into a light drizzle just as the public started arriving.
It was incredible how may owners stayed and how wet they let the cars get. By then I had gotten dozens and dozens of these dramatic images, with the beads of rain adding an extra dimension. As I left the show, a fellow coming in said, “What an awful day for a car show, eh?” I replied, “It’s a wonderful day for one if you’re a photographer.” – Steve Purdy
Abstraction: This image captures the reflections cast by a bright August sun on the grille slats of a Duesenberg SJ. The scalloped effect is created by the vertical slats tilting in different directions from the center. With its abstract quality, this image wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery.
Honoring the Brits: This one shows The Ancient Order of Froth Blowers (A.O.F.B) mascot. This organization is defined as “A sociable and law-abiding fraternity of absorptive Britons who sedately consume and quietly enjoy with commendable regularity and frequention the truly British malted beverage, as did their forbears and as Britons ever will, and be damned to all pussyfoot hornswogglers from overseas and including low brows, teetotalers and MPs and not excluding nosey parkers, mock religious busy bodies and suburban fool hens all of which are structurally solid bone from the chin up.”
Steve said he found residing atop the radiator cap of a 1920 Vauxhall.
Lalique Crisis: René Lalique was a renowned French artist at the turn of the century who began specializing in glass and crystal. From about 1925 to 1935 he created and marketed about 34 different crystal mascots. Most were lit from within. Few survived because of their fragility, but they are still produced today by the company.
Military-Grade Design: Charles Petty was the most famous pin-up artist of the 1930s and was best-known for his evocative art being displayed on the fuselage of WWII war planes. Hired to create a mascot for the post WWII Nash sedans, the artist determined this design captures the essence of the era. These are said to be the only hood ornaments to have the artist’s signature cast in it. Steve calls her the “Nash Babe.”
A few more of the favorites are shown here.
A special thank you to Mr. Steve Purdy for sharing his time and these images. His dedication to capturing the beauty and history of automotive mascots offers a unique perspective on an often-overlooked art form.
The book can be purchased at Steve’s website: www.shunpikerproductions.com
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